He Understands: He Believes
by CBrooke92
Summary: Sitting beside the hospital bed, holding Skye's limp hand in his, Ward feels guilty. Not because his best friend is here. Not because she is fighting for her life. Not because, over the past few months, he's fallen for the young hacker. Agent Ward feels guilty because he finally understands. Rated T for saftey!


**Hey everyone! A quick one-shot. Skye and Ward of course:-) But there's some Coulson/Ward and Simmons/Ward. Anyways, Enjoy and Please Review!:-)**

Sitting beside the hospital bed, holding Skye's limp hand in his, Ward feels guilty.

Not because his best friend is here.

Not because she is fighting for her life.

Not because, over the past few months, he's fallen for the young hacker.

No, Agent Ward feels guilty because he finally understands what Skye must have felt when he was shot. He thought he understood before but now it is painfully clear that he really had no idea.

He's seen Skye in danger before, of course. He's seen her threatened and even hurt.

And he couldn't truly imagine what it was like for Skye, sitting in the cold and sterile ICU, until now, when he's here himself.

Usually Skye is on this end of things. The one waiting, the one worrying. It's happened plenty of times. The shoot-out with a rogue agent was the worst, of course, but it was hardly the only incident.

Ward's always getting himself into trouble. It was part of the job. Usually it's simple, a quick trip to the ER, or a small patch up from Simmons on the bus. It's mostly a few bandages, some stitches and he's good to go. But it's still enough to freak his Rookie out.

And there are the times when it's more serious.

Last month he had a concussion that kept him in the S.H.I.E.L.D hospital overnight. Even though he was fine, Skye refused to leave his side.

Skye's been there through all of Ward's injuries and mishaps and Ward isn't sure he's ever expressed any real gratitude. More often than not, he's cranky.

He's never really understood before.

He's never quite understood what it must've been like for Skye to kneel in a pool of his blood after the shoot-out, pressing her hands to a gunshot wound and begging him not to die. He doesn't think he's ever truly imagined the terror Skye must have felt.

He didn't know. Didn't understand.

He knows now. And he feels guilty because never once did he thank his friend. His partner. Never asked if she was okay. How hard would it have been?

_Hey, Skye, I know you were scared and that you were worried for me. I'm sorry. Are you okay?_

Looking at his partner now, listening to the heart monitor, the hiss of the ventilator, he understands with painful clarity.

Today Skye was shot. Twice.

One through the stomach, one through the chest.

Both through-and-through. Both life threatening. One bullet is bad enough and with two, Ward's lucky she made it to the S.H.I.E.L.D hospital before bleeding out. Thank god for Simmons who stepped up and told everyone what to do.

Ward's had first aid training, just like everyone on the team, but he went blank. He obeyed Simmons' orders, holding his hands over one of Skye's gunshot wounds. Beside him, in the van, Fitz pressed down on the other. May was up front driving like a maniac, while Coulson barked out orders over the phone to the medical personal at the S.H.I.E.L.D base.

_Hold on, Skye, hold on!_ They begged her.

The memory, only hours old, is still haunting. But Ward is almost more shaken by another image.

An image if Skye begging him to live. To hang on.

Of Skye trying to stop him from bleeding to death, watching in silent horror as the team struggles to keep him alive.

Skye covered in his blood.

Skye at the hospital and being left in the dust as doctors took him off to surgery.

Skye waiting for long, agonizing hours beside him in the ICU, not knowing if he'd live or die.

Ward did not get it before. But he does now.

"How is she?"

Ward looks up to see Coulson in the doorway.

"No change," Ward tells him, raising Skye's cool, limp hand and kissing her knuckles.

"So..." Coulson says, observing the scene, "you two...?"

Ward gives a nod.

"I don't suppose I can't convince you to go back to the bus and get some rest then, can I?" Coulson asks.

Ward shakes his head.

"Didn't think so." Coulson walks over to stand on the other side of the bed. "She wouldn't leave you, either," he says.

Ward isn't surprised. When he woke, two days after his shooting, Skye was there. She looked like hell. Hair in a messy bun and greasy, mismatched clothes.

And yet he still didn't get it.

Coulson strokes Skye's hair lightly. Ward hopes that Skye will stir, but she remains motionless.

"We knew how bad your situation was, and there was nothing we could do for you. They said we should go home. Come back in the morning."

Ward keeps his eyes on Skye but nods, listening to the other agent.

"After May took FitzSimmons back to the bus, I came looking for her and found her sitting here, just like you are now. She was very worried." he pauses, and straightens Skye's sheets. "I tried to get her to go with the others and rest for awhile but she refused."

Ward winces as he pictures a pale and frightened Skye, huddled at his bedside.

"She asked why I was being so nice to her," Coulson recalls. "As if she was afraid we'd leave her."

Ward isn't surprised. "Skye's been alone her whole life."

"I know," Coulson says. "We had problems along the way, but when I brought her to this team, I knew I'd always watch out for her."

"You do seem overly protective sometimes," Ward states.

"She's young and need someone to set boundaries, and even though she still calls me AC," Coulson says. "She's apart of this family."

"Yeah," Ward agrees. "She is."

For a moment, they sit in silence, watching Skye. Finally, Coulson murmurs something in Skye's ear before straightening up.

"I'm going to head back," he says to Ward. "Can I bring you anything?"

"No thank you sir," Ward mumbles. He pauses briefly. "Um, actually sir, some clothes would be good."

His own clothes were covered in blood so he borrowed some scrubs from the hospital.

"Okay," Coulson says. "The team and I will see you in the morning. Call me if anything changes. And Agent Ward..."

"Yes sir?"

"She's a great girl, one of a kind. You take care of her."

"I will sir," Ward doesn't hesitate.

Coulson rests a hand briefly on Ward's shoulder then leaves.

The room is silent except for the hum of the machines, the steady beep of the monitors.

Skye was never supposed to be in danger.

Everything was clear. There were a dozen of agents around. It was safe_._

But out of nowhere a gunman shot Skye and, for a moment, time stood still.

Ward remembers screaming. He remembers kneeling beside his partner in a river of blood. He looks into her eyes, full of fear and panic as tears stream down her cheeks.

Ward only remembers his own shooting in bits in pieces, most of it is a blur. But he remembers Skye's scream. Remembers Skye's face above him, her hair brushing against his face before passing out.

And he understands now.

He is not used to Skye being in danger. But the reverse is not true. Skye watches him risk his life every day. Ward's never given it much thought. Never bothered to consider the worry she must feel.

Until now, when he finally understands.

"Ward?"

He looks up to see Simmons standing in the doorway. He sighs. He should be nicer, considering she helped save his life and now Skye's, too.

Besides, she looks different somehow. Older. More vulnerable.

"Hey," he says softly.

"I couldn't stand it on the bus. Having Fitz telling me I did everything I could," she explains. "So I wanted to check in, see how she is." She looks sincere, further compelling Ward to be kind.

"I don't think there's been any change," he says.

She looks at the monitors hooked up to Skye and pages through her chart.

"She's hanging on," she tells Ward. "She's doing as well as can be expected."

He meets her gaze. "Thank you, Simmons. For...everything. For saving her."

"I took a 2 year medical course before switching to bio chemistry," she says. "But I don't think that qualifies."

"In my book, it does." Ward gives a small smile.

"I should go," Simmons says. "We'll all be back tomorrow." She pauses briefly. "She has a good chance, Ward. Believe in that."

"Thanks," he says quietly, watching her go before turning his gaze back to Skye.

She's so pale. So silent.

Left alone with an unconscious Skye, Ward bows his head and, for the first time in years, cries.

Because the woman he loves was shot today and might not live through the night.

Because of the blood on his hands.

And because he finally understands.

**...4 HOURS LATER...**

_"She has a good chance, Ward. Believe in that."_

He sits in the dark room and tells himself to believe.

Believe that Simmons was right.

Believe the Skye will return to them, to him.

Believe that they both will have a happy ending.

And when he feels her hand tightly grip his thumb, Ward smiles and looks into her brown eyes. He finally believes.


End file.
